The Pittsburgh Penguins are on the West Coast for the remainder of the week, kicking off their Pacific Time Zone games against the Los Angeles Kings.
In the Kings’ first home game since the Southern California wildfires, the Penguins spoiled the evening’s celebration of the Los Angeles Fire Department with a much-needed 5-1 win.
Let’s discuss.
Where are These Penguins Regularly?
If a casual hockey fan turned on the Penguins and Kings game on Monday night, they may have been surprised. The visitors, who just lost to the Washington Capitals by a 4-1 score on Saturday, jumped out to a 3-0 lead on the Kings and never looked back.
Pittsburgh had a jump in their game, was physical, and played a mostly clean game. Once again, Alex Nedeljkovic stood on his head to preserve a win.
On Monday, the Penguins were not the same team fans have seen all season long. The team’s play was fueled by hunger, and they were energized despite traveling from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean in a single day.
It was refreshing to watch Evgeni Malkin score a goal, players who provide secondary scoring all over the game sheet, and goaltending be a strong point, not a cause of concern.
If the Penguins could only play like this every night, they wouldn’t find themselves far down the standings.
Nedeljkovic Saves the Day Again
Nedeljkovic was a star again on Monday, turning away 25 shots and surrendering just a single goal, a powerplay tally to Adrian Kempe.
Interestingly, out of 49 games this year, the Penguins, who lead the NHL in goals against, picked up their fourth win when giving up just one goal.
Even though the team has yet to record a shutout this season, these small victories, working on giving up the fewest goals possible, is a positive sign and confidence-building moment for a team hoping to remain in the tight wildcard race.
Throughout the campaign, Nedeljkovic has had his fair share of bad games, which isn’t entirely on him but on the team’s system. But, in the two starts he’s made since Tristan Jarry got sent down, it’s slowly turning into a season savior.
Can Penguins Keep Winning in California?
The Penguins won a game on Monday, improving their record to 20-21-8. On Thursday night, they will face the Anaheim Ducks, whom they defeated earlier in the season.
Through 49 games, Pittsburgh has won back-to-back games just four times, winning two in a row twice, with one three-game streak and one four-game win streak.
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The opportunity ahead of them in the coming days is that they can win at least two in a row, possibly three if they can defeat the Seattle Kraken, before facing the San Jose Sharks.
If the Penguins can play the remaining games on this road trip like they did against the Kings, there’s no reason they can’t return home on a five-game win streak.
Ultimately, every point Pittsburgh accumulates on this trip will help its chances of getting back into the thick of the wildcard race, even though rumors are circulating that a fire sale is on the horizon.
Everyone knew this seven-game road trip would define their season. Considering how passionately the team played on Monday night, no one is ready to give up on the year.
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